Zinedine Zidane, the greatest footballer of his generation, one of the greatest players of all time, on Monday night took over as the head coach of Real Madrid after the sacking of ­Rafael Benítez.

The galáctico club now have a galáctico in charge with Zidane ­declaring at a press conference – where the press were not allowed to ask questions – that “this is the best club in the world and the best fan base. I want to ensure a trophy by the end of the season”.

It was a populist statement from a popular former player – the kind of move for which the Real president Florentino Pérez is famed – but even by the club’s outlandish soap-opera standards the turn of events, though not unexpected, adds another rich storyline.

Stepping up: Zinedine Zidane's path to management has taken nearly 10 years

Throw in, also, that Jose Mourinho was sounded out for a return to the Bernabéu only to turn it down, while there were suggestions that players such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos would want out if he did come back, then it is ever more colourful.

Instead of the Special One, Real now have the Anointed One – initially to the end of the season it seems – with Zidane having been marked out as a future coach some time ago.

Still, for Zidane, despite his status in the game, to take over a club of such stature as his first serious managerial appointment is all the more remarkable.

“This is an important day for me – I’m more excited now than I was on the day I signed as a player,” ­Zidane said. “I am going to put my heart and soul into this job so that everything works out well.” Pérez will desperately hope the same.

Now 43, Zidane, after a two-year sabbatical, has been adviser to ­Pérez, a club ambassador, a special adviser to the first team, at the suggestion of Mourinho, assistant coach to Mourinho’s successor ­Carlo Ancelotti and for the past 18 months has coached Real Madrid’s B team, Castilla, in the Spanish third division.

For Benítez the sack has come just 21 days after Pérez went on Spanish radio and declared that the former Liverpool manager would not be replaced by Zidane. No one believed it was little more than a stay of execution even if since then Real had won two matches and drawn one, scoring 15 goals.

“The board has taken a difficult decision – especially for me, to sack Rafa Benítez – a great professional and a magnificent person,” Pérez said before confirming Zidane’s appointment and, unusually, posing with him and his family.

“I’m very proud because I know that for you [Zidane], the word ‘impossible’ doesn’t exist,” he said, turning to the Real legend.

The end for Benítez came, ironically, after his first return to Valencia, the club he led to the Spanish league title and enjoyed remarkable success with in breaking up the Real Madrid/Barcelona duopoly, where his team drew 2-2 on Sunday evening.

Benítez leaves after 25 matches in charge of Real, who are third place in the table four points behind leaders Atlético Madrid, and in the last 16 of the Champions League but his seven-month reign at the club has always appeared uncomfortable and, ultimately, doomed. It was never a good fit.

The 55-year-old complained of a “clear campaign” against him, against Pérez and against Real but he has lived on borrowed time for weeks. He knew the stories that he was going to be sacked, that he had a poor relationship with some key players, that there was unhappiness over his style of play and style of management, did not come from nowhere.

Benítez also became the 11th coach to be sacked by Pérez, who is under increasing pressure over what many regard as a disastrous presidency which has appeared even more chaotic since the inexplicable sacking last summer of Ancelotti.

Zidane is undoubtedly an appointment aimed to curry favour with the disillusioned Real Madrid socios – the club members and fans given his popularity after a glittering five-year playing career with Los Merengues which included scoring the spectacular winning goal in the 2002 Champions League final.

Zidane scores the decisive goal in the 2002 Champions League final Photo: GETTY IMAGES

Pérez and Real will hope that Zidane can have the same effect on their club as Pep Guardiola did at Barcelona where he went from player to coach of the B team to enjoy astonishing success in charge of the club. Zidane, indeed, went to observe Guardiola at work at Barca but the pair are undoubtedly very different characters.

Benítez, who was so close to taking over at West Ham United last summer, ahead of Slaven Bilic, before he received the call from Pérez, will undoubtedly look to make a swift return to management with the likelihood being that he would prefer a job in the Premier League. His family remains on the Wirral as it has done since he was Liverpool manager.